Suspended cell culture stirring vessel closure and apparatus

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to laboratory apparatus and more particularly to disposable suspended magnetic stirrers. An apparatus having a stirring vessel closure and a stirring vessel is disclosed. The stirring vessel closure includes a suspended magnetic impeller, the elevation of which is adjustable by a moveable bearing. The invention is particularly suitable for applications in which solids must be suspended in a liquid medium with a minimum of shear forces, such as in the suspension of tissue cell cultures in a growing medium. The disclosed stirring vessel closure has inclined access ports to allow improved pipette accessibility to the interior of the stirring vessel while also providing improved close packing of stirring vessels during usage or storage.

We claim: 
     
       1. A magnetic stirring vessel closure for use with a paddle assembly comprising: a) a closure body having a circular and substantially horizontal facing having a centrally located aperture surrounded by a hollow internally threaded elevation screw hub extending upward from the horizontal facing;   the closure body further having an annular, intermediately located, and sloped facing connecting the horizontal facing to an outwardly located annular facing, the outwardly located annular facing having a peripheral skirt portion extending substantially vertically downward therefrom, the peripheral skirt portion having means to couple with stirring vessels;   the sloped intermediate facing having an aperture and at least one open-ended access port outwardly extending from said aperture;   b) an externally threaded elevation screw sized and configured to be threadingly received by the elevation screw hub, the elevation screw having a downwardly extending shaft terminating into an outwardly flared lower end sized to pass through the screw hub and configured to provide an annular bearing surface for the paddle assembly, the elevation screw further having an upper outwardly flared end; and   c) an elevation screw cap removably fitted about the upper outwardly flared end of said elevation screw.   
     
     
       2. A paddle assembly for use with the stirring vessel closure of claim 1 wherein the paddle assembly comprises a plurality of combinable hollow sleeves, which sleeves combine to form means for retaining a magnet, the sleeves having a plurality of vertical members extending upward therefrom, the vertical members terminating into a plurality of coacting bearing surfaces configured to encompass and ride about the annular bearing surface of the elevation screw, one or more of the hollow sleeves having a paddle extending outwardly therefrom, and means for releasably securing the hollow sleeves together being mounted on adjacent vertical members. 
     
     
       3. The stirring vessel closure of claim 1 further comprising an access port closure cap having sealing means to seal at least one access port and retention means for retaining the cap upon said at least one access port. 
     
     
       4. The stirring vessel closure of claim 1 wherein the elevation screw has a passage extending axially therethrough and the elevation screw cap has a gas permeable membrane positioned proximate to the upper end of the elevation screw. 
     
     
       5. The stirring vessel closure of claim 1 further comprising a sealing means disposed between the elevation screw cap and the elevation screw hub. 
     
     
       6. The stirring apparatus of claim 1 wherein the sloped intermediate facing is inclined in the range of 15 to 45 degrees from horizontal and said at least one access port extends substantially perpendicularly from the intermediate facing. 
     
     
       7. A magnetic stirring apparatus comprising: a) a stirring vessel having side walls joined to a bottom having a centrally located upwardly extending dimple, the bottom being radiused to form a circumferential trough where the sidewalls meet the bottom;   b) a closure body having a circular and substantially horizontal facing having a centrally located aperture surrounded by a hollow internally threaded elevation screw hub extending upward from the horizontal facing;   the closure body further having a annular, intermediately located, and sloped facing connecting the horizontal facing to an outwardly located annular facing, the outwardly located annular facing having a peripheral skirt portion extending substantially vertically downward therefrom, the peripheral skirt portion having means to couple with the stirring vessel;   the sloped intermediate facing having an aperture and at least one open-ended access port outwardly extending from said;   c) an externally threaded elevation screw sized and configured to be threadingly received by the elevation screw hub, the elevation screw having a downwardly extending shaft terminating into an outwardly flared lower end sized to pass through the screw hub and configured to provide an annular bearing surface, the elevation screw further having an upper outwardly flared end;   d) an elevation screw cap removably fitted about the upper outwardly flared end of said elevation screw; and   e) a paddle assembly having a plurality of combinable hollow sleeves, which sleeves combine to form means for retaining a magnet, the sleeves having a plurality of vertical members extending upward therefrom, the vertical members terminating into a plurality of coacting bearing surfaces configured to encompass and ride about the annular bearing surface of the elevation screw, one or more of the hollow sleeves having a paddle extending outwardly therefrom, and means for releasably securing the hollow sleeves together being mounted on adjacent vertical members.   
     
     
       8. The stirring apparatus of claim 7 wherein the sloped intermediate facing is inclined in the range from 50 to 80 degrees from horizontal and said at least one access port extends substantially perpendicularly from the intermediate facing. 
     
     
       9. The stirring apparatus of claim 7 further comprising an access port closure cap having sealing means to seal at least one access port and retention means for retaining the cap upon said at least one access port. 
     
     
       10. The stirring apparatus of claim 7 wherein the elevation screw has a passage extending axially therethrough and the elevation screw cap has a gas permeable membrane positioned proximate to the upper end of the elevation screw. 
     
     
       11. The stirring apparatus of claim 7 further comprising a sealing means disposed between the elevation screw cap and the elevation screw hub. 
     
     
       12. The stirring apparatus of claim 7 wherein the stirring vessel and the closure body are made of plastic materials. 
     
     
       13. The stirring apparatus of claim 7 wherein the stirring vessel has a volume within the range of 50 to 2000 milliliters. 
     
     
       14. A magnetic stirring vessel closure for use with a paddle assembly comprising: a) a closure body having a circular and substantially horizontal facing having an aperture surrounded by a hollow internally threaded elevation screw hub extending upward from the horizontal facing;   the closure body further having an outer peripheral portion extending substantially vertically downward from the horizontal facing, the peripheral portion having means to couple with stirring vessels;   the horizontal facing having at least one additional aperture surrounded by an open-ended access port, the access port extending at an angle to the horizontal facing;   b) an externally threaded elevation screw sized and configured to be threadingly received by the elevation screw hub, the elevation screw having a downwardly extending shaft terminating into an outwardly flared lower end sized to pass through the screw hub and configured to provide an annular bearing surface for the paddle assembly, the elevation screw further having an upper outwardly flared end;   c) an elevation screw cap removably fitted about the upper outwardly flared end of said elevation screw.   
     
     
       15. A paddle assembly for use with the stirring vessel closure of claim 14 wherein the paddle assembly comprises a plurality of combinable hollow sleeves, which sleeves combine to form means for retaining a magnet, the sleeves having a plurality of vertical members extending upward therefrom, the vertical members terminating into a plurality of coacting bearing surfaces configured to encompass and ride about the annular bearing surface of the elevation screw, one or more of the hollow sleeves having a paddle extending outwardly therefrom, and means for releasably securing the hollow sleeves together being mounted on adjacent vertical members. 
     
     
       16. A magnetic stirring vessel closure with an elevation-adjustable paddle assembly comprising: a) a closure body having a circular and substantially horizontal facing having an centrally located aperture surrounded by a hollow internally threaded elevation screw hub extending upward from the horizontal facing;   the closure body further having an annular, intermediately located facing connecting the horizontal facing to an outwardly located annular facing, the outwardly located annular facing having a peripheral skirt portion extending substantially vertically downward therefrom, the peripheral skirt portion having means to couple with stirring vessels;   the intermediate facing having an aperture and at least one open-ended access port outwardly extending from said aperture in the intermediate facing and extending at an angle to the horizontal facing;   b) an externally threaded elevation screw sized and configured to be threadingly received by the elevation screw hub, the elevation screw having a downwardly extending shaft terminating into an outwardly flared lower end sized to pass through the screw hub and configured to provide an annular bearing surface for the paddle assembly, the elevation screw further having an upper outwardly flared end; and   c) an elevation screw cap removably fitted about the upper outwardly flared end of said elevation screw.   
     
     
       17. The stirring vessel closure of claim 16, wherein the center line of said at least one access port and the center line of the closure body are nonplanar. 
     
     
       18. The stirring vessel closure of claim 17, wherein the at least one open-ended outwardly extending access port extends radially no further than the peripheral skirt portion. 
     
     
       19. The stirring vessel closure of claim 17, wherein the intermediate facing is sloped. 
     
     
       20. The stirring vessel closure of claim 17, wherein the intermediate facing is substantially horizontal.